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Tony’s here to help — at a price

The former PM has built a fortune, but his methods lack transparency

Jon Ungoed-Thomas and Mark Hollingsworth

March 7 2015, 10:28pm, The Sunday Times

FOUR weeks after he stood down as prime minister in June 2007, Tony Blair flew into the searing temperatures of Abu Dhabi in his new role as Middle East special envoy. A dinner was hosted by the ruling family to mark his prestigious and crucial new diplomatic role.

Blair appeared in relaxed mood and among those he met was Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the country’s foreign minister. The pair have since spoken on several occasions on the Middle East crisis.

A document obtained by The Sunday Times, however, reveals a significant, previously undisclosed potential conflict of interest: al-Nahyan was also a potential client.